Poll: Most Americans plan to watch first presidential debate and see it as important
A new poll finds most U.S. adults plan to watch or listen to some element of Thursday's presidential debate.
And many think the stakes are high for both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
The nationwide AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll was conducted over the weekend among more than 1,000 adults.
About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say they are "extremely" or "very" likely to watch the debate live or in clips, or read about or listen to commentary about the performance of the candidates in the news or social media.
The poll suggests tens of millions of Americans are likely to see or hear about at least part of Thursday's debate despite how unusually early it comes in the campaign season.
Both Biden and Trump supporters view the debate as a major test for their candidate — or just a spectacle not to miss.
About half, 47%, of Americans say the debate is "extremely" or "very" important for the success of Biden’s campaign and about 4 in 10 say it’s highly important for Trump’s campaign.
About 3 in 10 Americans say it is at least "very" important for both campaigns.
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Additionally, BetUS.com predicts that this debate will be the most wagered-on in history.
Bets are being placed on various outcomes, including who will win, who will interrupt the moderator the most, and the frequency of certain words like "folks" and "fake news." Additional bets can be placed on how often Biden's age or Trump's legal issues are mentioned, as well as the colors of the candidates' neckties.
Biden and Trump are each entering the debate with low favorability ratings.
When is the first presidential debate?
The first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is Thursday, June 27, 2024 at 9 p.m. ET.
Where is the first presidential debate going to be held?
The first presidential debate will be held in Atlanta and is hosted by CNN. It will be held at the network’s Atlanta studio.
In an aerial view, signage for a CNN presidential debate is seen outside of their studios inside the Turner Entertainment Networks on June 26, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Where can I watch the first presidential debate?
The CNN Presidential Debate will air live on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español, and via streaming on Max for subscribers and without a cable login on CNN.com.
This story was reported from Detroit. FOX 5 Atlanta and The Associated Press contributed.